can't finish anything i start

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omgznub

Guest
i was interested if anyone shares the same problem that i have, or had the same problem and figured out a way to get past it.

ive written HUNDREDS of small songs in the past 2 years, but i fail to complete any- ive finished about 2, maybe 3, i lost all of my earlier work to a crash :(. anyway, its not that i dont write good material, i like, even love the majority of my work. but i seem to lose the drive to continue and finish them and usually find myself moving on to the next one or going back to play with another.

i dont know if writing lyrics would help, but i cant really sing, or record anything of decent quality for that matter, and i dont really know anyone personally who has anywhere near the skill/knowledge of composing/programming.

any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated very much
 
i lose my drive sometimes, but i'll still work on the song regardless. just to get it out of the way. pick the top 20 out of the hundreds you got and work on them 'til they are done. you get tired of working on one, work on another one. steal elements of other songs to finish the top 20 if you got 2.
 
well what part do you get to and stop? If you have your main beat down, just change up the kicks and maybe drop/add a snare here and there. fukk wit it. take your same sound you are using for a melody and write a new one. transition that one into a different part in the song. change up the hats. try to have a definite verse and make it 16 bars and maybe after the second chorus repeat it, but this time add a new instrument, take out something, make a build up at the end of 8 bars. just keep doing that **** and building your track. making a track isnt just a process that you do and the track is done. it's never really done. you can always change something and build onto something else
 
well they are all about a minute; now i dont write hip hop ish, and i dont mean to be an ass but im way beyond just switching a couple patterns on the drums, variation isnt really a problem its just ill do a chorus or something or even have a breakdown but it just doesnt feel like i know what to do next, maybe im trying to hard? i dunno.

its just that i try to stay away from formulas and general chart music structure in my songs; i do all instrumentals so it sounds a little bland imo to follow that sort of songwriting format, i feel like im answering my own question now :\
 
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maybe you need to network with artists and complete songs that way. thats what i normally do. like i will bring in a vocalist and if she wants a chord change somewhere ill do a chord change, bridge, etc.

finishing a track unless its meant to be instrumental music is almost pointless to me. Like i'll get the section down but in terms of drops, fills, etc. I tend to do that once I have sold the track.

Peace
 
omgznub said:

its just that i try to stay away from formulas and general chart music structure in my songs
Click to expand...
So you are doing experimental music?If thats the case then just let yourself go,but sometimes it hepls you to follow classic "formulas".I would say take your track,identify the parts as chorus,intro or whatevers the structure you are building your song upon and try that way...
 
I know your pain of not being able to finish tracks. Sometimes I'll start a few tracks until I find one that begs me to finish it as quickly as possible. For me, the best tracks are usually the ones that I finish the quickest with little room to edit. Those are real memories that I'll always have - staying awake at night because I'm heightening the chorus just a little bit more till I've said everything I want to say. Perhaps not true to all, but I've heard that it is best to have an idea that you are so passionate about that you complete the track all in the same day.

Cheers, and keep mixing.
 
yup I got 20-30 would be songs if I could just finish'em..I dunno I think I'm cursed,lol.But I will be taking a break for a good 4 months or more and when I come back instead of starting on some new beats Im gonna finish the ones I feel NEED to be done there so dope and so close to being done then after I'm done finishing,I'll get some experience mixing! THEN Im starting a new rule for myself and thats no more than 3 beats at a time if I want 2 start another I'll have to finish one of the three..I hope it works.
 
i think it depends on what level youre at as to if its 'bad' to keep makin new stuff.

i think if youre just starting its almost better to keep it movin. cuz you will learn a lot more that way. you wont have the experience to really 'finish' anything anyway, so might as well go with the method that will teach you the most.

but if youre gettin more serious about it and you NEED to finish tracks, thats a trickier spot to be in. then you might even feel forced to complete stuff....

i think the best thing is not to worry about it too much. if somehtin is hot enough, you will WANT to finish it, and if its not, then who cares. let it chill for a few, and see what it sounds like a few weeks later....

what I do if i have an unfinished track that i dont know what to do with is get drastic. i feel like if it aint phat yet, then you can only get better. so i will just start choppin sounds, addin sounds, rearrangin, just to see if anything interesting pops up. and i have actually 'finished' really old tracks by doing that....

just make sure youre savin EVERYthing...



peace.
 
i feel you. I just get lazy and not arrange it. I'll have all the elemnts there its just i dont arrange them. I just keep starting new projects.
 
same here i'll make the loops of the beats but i wont arrage then the i hear the song everyday for a bout 2 weeks if nothign comes up i leave it and move on. but my tracks need a lot of sh!t so im just beign lazy.
 
KomplexBeats said:
maybe you need to network with artists and complete songs that way.
Peace
Click to expand...

Thats the exact way that i work. I do a track about 80%, and let the artist write to that, when they are done i do a rough recording of them, switch up the beat, add things and change things, to work with the lyrics. Its hard sometimes convincing artists that its going to come out hot at the end. Try it that way, because like stated before its pointless to finish a track 100%, and never use it.
 
I have your problem all the time man...What I do is leave it there and move on to something else...I find that after I complete one success then it's easier to go back to the others...Or just wait 'til I get inspired...

...just dont try to rush it
 
i would say that i am pretty good- and i want to take the step to the next level, trying to release some of my tracks or get into doing gis; so i feel obligated to finish tracks, as highkoo said before.

well thanks for all the tips, makes me feel better to know im not the only one who has this problem
 
I see im not the only 1 with this issue...wat i do is i usually jus put my beat on a playback such as 1 bar,2 or 4 dat way i imagine it as 1 whole beat i would mute some tracks like my hi hat for 2 bars and then drop it in with my snare and u jus examine ur project like wat sounds betta with wat keep muting and solo ur melody and drop it wit somethin it works for me sometimes.....
the reason i cant really finish a beat is my melody im not sure wat to add on it when to take it off....i now its all accordin to da ears but wat might not sound good to me might sound hot to some 1 else (vice versa) and it gets frustratin...
 
i have the exact same problem , ive been doing this for about 5 years.......i think im learning instruments and how they fit together.
i play untill i like what i layed , maybe ten minutes then ill play something else over it and then something else over it....first couple of minutes sound crap but about 2/3 minutes will sound very very good..

but i dont bother editing i just start something else.
 
you r probably right......the thing is , where the hell do u find someone like that , and b. i think my skills r developing slowly .....if i give stuff to someone else to edit i stop learning , besides i dont think im anything more than a year away untill i finish my first song ....anybody want to edit my stuff let me know....
 
Try the age old MLA handbook method...

WRITE AN OUTLINE!!! Think about it: A beat, song, production, or whatever is just like telling a story mann. Imagine every beat you start as a story...use your imagination to picture where the story goes man. Every story has a beginning to set the subject, the rising action to set the mood, Climax To get the the meat and heart of the beat, the falling action....then the end. Listen to any song on the radio and try to figure these points of the music out. You will be surprised that what I'm saying makes a lot of sense!

So before you even start making the beat, MAP out an outline to which you will work around. I recommend writing it out. This way you won't feel like you have nothing else to work for...

>>>>Or you could just sleep on it & come back later....lol
 
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